"Portrait of a Plains Warrior" by DeCost Smith captures the stoic strength and timeless dignity of a Native man from the Great Plains. Rendered in muted earth tones and framed by a stormy blue background, the warrior’s bare chest, piercing gaze, and feathered headdress exude a noble defiance. Smith’s brushwork is raw yet reverent, honoring the subject’s presence without theatricality. This intimate portrayal strips away stereotype and sentimentality, offering instead a striking tribute to identity, survival, and unspoken stories carved into the soul of a people.